LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS
RECOMMENDATION 1
That the Chair of the Executive Committee of the Federal Healthcare Partnership ensure that progress reports on the implementation of the First Level Action Plan, the next level action plan, and all progress reports concerning both action plans are tabled in the House of Commons immediately upon completion, with copies sent to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.
RECOMMENDATION 2
That the Department of National Defence, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Citizenship and Immigration, and Correctional Service Canada, provide action plans to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts detailing the measures they will take to implement the recommendations contained in Chapter 4 of the November 2004 Report of the Auditor General of Canada. These plans must reference each recommendation, contain timelines (target implementation and completion dates) for every action listed, and be submitted to the Committee no later than 30 September 2005
RECOMMENDATION 3
That beginning in 2006 Health Canada, the Department of National Defence, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Correctional Service Canada, and Veterans Affairs Canada include distinct sections in their annual reports on plans and priorities, and performance reports that address their drug benefits programs and begin with a clear statement of program objectives followed by the indicators used to assess performance.
RECOMMENDATION 4
That Health Canada provide information on the full cost of its consent gathering initiative under the Non-Insured Health Benefits Program, a full explanation of how the privacy environment has evolved in ways affecting the issue of consent and list the insights it has gained regarding the issue of consent in its performance report for the period ending 31 March 2005.
RECOMMENDATION 5
That beginning with its departmental performance report for the period ending 31 March 2005, Health Canada provide data on the number of times it has sought verbal and written consent from Non-Insured Health Benefits Program clients to share personal health information with health care providers, the number of consents given, the number of consents withdrawn, and the number of instances in which it has refused payments arising from lack of consent. Data on written and verbal consent must be presented separately.
RECOMMENDATION 6
That Health Canada complete its examination of legislative options, including the option of obtaining specific enabling legislation for the Non-Insured Health Benefits Program, that would permit the collection and sharing of client health information with health care professionals and report the conclusions to the Committee no later than 31 December 2005.
RECOMMENDATION 7
That Health Canada fulfill its commitment made in response to the Tenth Report (37th Parliament, 1st Session) of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts by immediately upgrading its point of sale system in pharmacies to provide the dates, quantities, and drugs prescribed at minimum of a client’s last three prescriptions and last three doctors visited.
RECOMMENDATION 8
That Veterans Affairs Canada immediately upgrade its claims processing system so that it can provide intra pharmacy alerts related to prescription drugs that are susceptible to potential abuse and misuse.
RECOMMENDATION 9
That Veterans Affairs Canada begin immediately to collect data on claims processing alerts and overrides, and perform regular analysis of the results that includes an assessment of the volume of alerts and the reasons for overrides. This data, along with the analysis, should be provided to Parliament annually in the Department’s performance reports beginning with the report for the period ending 31 March 2006.
RECOMMENDATION 10
That all federal government entities delivering drug benefits programs work together to ensure that there is no duplication in the client base for their respective programs.
RECOMMENDATION 11
That each federal department provide information on efforts to meet the goal of a centrally managed system as well as overall program objectives, costs, and performance in their annual reports to Parliament on plans and priorities, and performance; and
RECOMMENDATION 12
That, beginning in fiscal year 2006-07, Veterans Affairs Canada, National Defence, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Correctional Service Canada, and Citizenship and Immigration Canada provide a comprehensive annual report (similar to that provided by Health Canada in its overall NIHB program) containing information on their drug benefits programs.